Society

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees will conduct a three-day visit to Cameroon beginning on the 23^rd of March.   The visit of Commissioner Antonio Guterres is intended to attract the attention of the international community on the situation of refugees in Cameroon, following the violence experienced in the northern regions. The crisis created by the Nigerian Islamic sect, Boko Haram has caused an influx of Nigerian refugees since May 2013. The tense security situation at the border, including the incessant incursions of the militant group from Nigeria through Cameroon, exposes the refugee population to serious dangers such as violence, theft or targeted kidnappings. The East of Cameroon which hosts the largest number of Central African refugees has also been on constant threats from rebels group attempting to take over power in Bangui. The refugees according to a UNHCR report, are installed in at least 314 sites and villages scattered in the East and Adamawa regions.

High Commissioner Antonio Guterres has verbally express sympathy to the Nigerian refugees and internally displaced persons and profound gratitude to the Government and people of Cameroon for the hospitality and the solidarity shown to more than 200,000 refugees from Nigerian and the Central African Republic. UNHCR's program includes a visit to Minawao camp in the Far North which houses more than 33,000 Nigerian refugees, and a meeting with the Yaoundé authorities during which UNHCR will reiterate the commitment of the institution to support the Cameroon government to find solutions to the problems of refugees and internally displaced people.

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Ngwa Bertrand

21.Mar.2015

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It is 5:45 am at the Emombo II junction in Yaounde. Many road users who want to avoid traffic congestion are already out of home heading to various destinations. Surprisingly, circulation is blocked. While vehicles coming from Elf Emombo struggles to find their way towards Terminus Mimboman or Mimboman neighbourhood, those coming from Terminus Mimboman are also forcing their way across the junction as well as vehicles from the Essomba junction who wish to either move towards Elf Emombo or Terminus Mimboman. Such a hold-up, observers say, is recurrent at the Emombo II junction as well as several other junctions in different neighbourhoods in the nation’s capital where there are no traffic lights.

With the absence of traffic lights to ensure safe and orderly flow of traffic, protect pedestrians and vehicles at busy intersections as well as reduce the severity and frequency of accidents between vehicles entering intersections, circulation around major junctions such as the Essomba, Terminus, Nsimeyong Church, Biyem-Assi and Mendong in Yaounde is a nightmare during most hours of the day. A motor bike rider at the Emombo neighbourhood in Yaounde, Clovis Nkounga, says the entire Yaounde IV sub-division is crammed with junctions that do not have traffic lights. Besides the Emombo II junction, Clovis Nkounga says the situation is not different at the Elf Emombo, Mimboman junction as well as at the Essomba or Terminus junctions. Clovis Nkounga noted that even the newly constructed road around Petit Marche Mimboman also need traffic light due to the intersections of vehicles coming from different angles in the neighbourhood.

At the Chappelle Nsimeyong junction, traffic congestion witnessed during rush hours cannot be over emphasised. Vehicles coming from the Tam-Tam neighbourhood as well as those from Damas or Olezoa-Vogt force their way through the Nsimeyong junction. Three days back, during the morning hours, inhabitants in that locality took close to two hours to pass through the Nsimeyong junction. Motor bike riders in traffic congested areas notes that although Traffic Police at times ease circulation in these junctions, the situation cannot be completely solved by the police because not only are they at times unable to manage the huge traffic but also because they are not present at all times.  According to eye witnesses the ideal is for traffic lights to be installed in all junctions of the town.

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Ngwa Bertrand

21.Mar.2015

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Issa Tchiroma Bakary, Cameroon's Minister of Communication has confirmed the March 21^st kidnapping in the east of the country by rebels from the Central Africa Republic. The government spokesman who is now avoiding press conferences ever since the Biya photomontage scandal issued a statement stating that the hostage-taking took place on March 19, 2015 around 11:30 p.m.  at the Babio locality.

The Issa Tchiroma statement noted that among those abducted were Mama Abakaï, Mayor of Lagdo,  Nene Jacqueline, Section President WCPDM Lagdo South 2, Madam Dama, nurse and president of a Women's NGO, Djimoun Sylvie, Councillor, Tchambia Odile, economic operator, Oumarou Sadou, traditional leader of  Lagdo, Souaibou Halidou, council worker and traditional leader; Alidou Abu traditional leader, Mr. Danda, traditional chief; Alhaji Oumarou Liman, farmer, Alhaji Souïbou, trader,  Ibrahim Abubakar, businessman, Abdoulaye Hamadou alternate driver, Inoussa Balkabar, member of the local Vigilance Committee, Robert Ndinda member of the local Vigilance Committee.

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Ngwa Bertrand

21.Mar.2015

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Cameroon’s frontline opposition party, the Social Democratic Front (SDF) has handed a consignment of food stuff consisting of several bags of rice, vegetable oil and two live bulls to the authorities of the Military Hospital in Yaounde destined for the wounded Cameroonian and Chadian soldiers’ convalescing at the medical outfit. The visit and handing over of gifts by the SDF National Chairman, John Fru Ndi, Thursday March 19, 2015, was witnessed by the Secretary of State in the Ministry of Defence in charge of Ex-service men and War Victims, Koumpa Issa.

Speaking during the event, John Fru Ndi said more attention was focused only on soldiers at the war front forgetting the wounded ones who sustained injuries while also defending the nation from aggressors. “Visiting the wounded and hospitalised soldiers is also a bolster to the morale of those still at the war front,” he stated. “The gift I am giving to soldiers today comes from my heart. The boys are fighting in defence of Cameroun. So we are all involved. Let the soldiers know that they are not alone,” Fru Ndi asserted. Accompanied by members of the SDF Parliamentary Groups at the National Assembly and the Senate, the SDF Chairman announced that the party is working out a strategy to support the soldiers at the war front. He however raised worries whether the funds and gifts being mobilised nationwide get to their destination.

While receiving the foodstuff on behalf of the Minister Delegate at the Presidency in charge of Defence, the Secretary of State in charge of Ex-service men and War Veterans, Koumpa Issa lauded the SDF initiative stating that the general mobilisation by Cameroonians is ongoing in different forms. The SDF, he said, has chose to support wounded soldiers whom he said do not only need medical care but also needs food and affection in their recovery process. Koumpa Issa promised that the gifts handed to the Commander of the Yaounde Military Hospital will be used judiciously. It should be noted that the SDF chairman was visiting the wounded soldiers twice in less than two months. 

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Ngwa Bertrand

20.Mar.2015

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Ghana’s Narcotic Control Board (NACOB) officials have arrested four members of a drug trafficking ring operating between East and West Africa at the Kotoka International Airport in the capital, Accra for possessing 13Kg of heroin. The suspects were said to have been arrested in two separate operations earlier this week, leading to the seizure of the drugs which have a street value of over $1 million. In the first operation, officials discovered ten parcel of the drugs in an enamel bowl tightly concealed belonging to Mabada Zanaka Zamzam, a Ugandan woman who had arrived from Uganda with Ethiopian Airlines from Uganda. 

Ms Zamzam was said to have been timed to be picked at the airport by two men-Friday Ogbonna Icheogu and Christian Chukwudi Icheogu both Nigerians. But unknown to her, the Ghanaian officials had received intelligence from their Ugandan counterparts in Uganda over her movement. And when she arrived, she was met by the two Nigerians who were waiting to receive her at the arrival hall but they were quickly arrested by security officials. In the second arrest, Charles Ejiku Gasper arrived onboard another Ethiopian Airline flight from the Ugandan capital, Kampala through the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. During arrival security checks, security officials found seven large parcels of heroin, with an approximate weight of 10Kg being concealed beneath a bag used to carry babies (baby pram).

Gasper upon realizing he was on red alert attempted to escape but security officials quickly arrested him at the exit point of the airport and confirmed that the tag behind his passport marched the one on the baby pram. Upon interrogation, Gasper claimed the items had been given to him in Uganda by a Nigerian whose name he only gave as Obi to be delivered to an unknown person in Accra. The four suspects are currently in custody and will be put before court soon, according to security officials. In January this year, Ghana’s President, John Mahama dissolved the Narcotic Control Board over suspicious of security officials aiding drug syndicates to escape security checks. This has put security officials on high alert to prove the President wrong. Security experts have said in the recent past that about eight to thirty per cent of illicit drugs entering Europe pass through Ghana’s airport. The situation they say is like to push the country into a state of rejection in the international community on the fight against the drugs trade by cartels who are gradually using Ghana as a hub.

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Ngwa Bertrand

19.Mar.2015

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7 opposition parties and 14 human rights organizations in Cameroon have signed on Tuesday a statement condemning the arrest of the Cameroonian activist Gérard Philippe Kuissu Mephou and are demanding his release. The signatories of the declaration expressed their concerns over the too many acts of human right violations and freedoms that are multiplying across the country in blatant disregard for administrative and judicial procedures. The group which has planned to hold many demonstrations around the country says the case of Gerard Kuissu is a classic example of violation of the Cameroonian Criminal Code procedure.

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Ngwa Bertrand

18.Mar.2015

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